Underneath

Part 1

In the year 3012, North America isn't a thing. Neither is Germany or Great Britain. America is its own problem to deal with. And that problem is New America. Canada and Mexico left being a part of the America's. They have their own union called the Braided Union. In new America, the land has been separated into Quadrants. These Quadrants are used to keep the country in control. By the time the country reached the year 2040, citizens were hard to control. Nobody thought the same, or agreed on anything. So these Quadrants were made to aid maintaining peace. Though peace was never close. Germany is now Bestes Land. They are united with the war group who have labeled themselves as "The Cold Ones." Only those who hate New America enough join them. They are the strongest dictators in the world. So far, they have been no match for our scholars. These scholars were pumped full of drugs and constantly stimulated. They can predict wars and attacks. The haven't been wrong once. Until now. 

My father always told me I was old for my age. For the 3000's, this was quite rare.  I always know how things are supposed to be, and how they have to go. When he died, he didn't leave much behind. But he left one thing that will always haunt my life. His debt. 

His debt damned my whole family. For someone who was never around, he sure screwed us over. My sister Jade, now 24, moved off our family plot a day after he died. She begged me to come with her, but then there was my mother. 

Through the whole issue of my father, my mother became more bleached out. When he was declared MIA, she picked up drinking. Then when he was thought to be a prisoner of war, she wouldn't speak. Then when he was finally found on home territory, he was at last declared dead. That's when she became suicidal. I was so used to being around her mess, that I became the janitor at the age of 9. 

I used all the sanity I had left to stay the same girl I was. 14 and more grown up than most adults. But I didn't have much human contact besides my mother. So my social skills were running dry. When I was 7, the government took a really close friend of mine. His name was Xavier. He was a year older than me. Then, all I had left was a neighbor who walked to school with me. We didn't talk much, but I picked up some of her mannerisms.  Her name was April, and she was as sweet as her name gives off. 

I sit on the front porch of my cookie-cutter house, looking back on the poor life I lead until now.  I marked this day on my yearly planner, about this time of day, two months ago. I got a notice in the mail for my mother to pay off her debt or else. 

Or else was the term parents used when they had no idea how they wanted to punish a child. In this case, 'Or else' was carefully thought out. You have five years to pay back the debt. Five years to fix the mistakes the dead made for you. Yet again, my mother didn't. She wallowed in self pity long enough for the government to pull out the 'Or else'. No, they didn't turn off your water and not your electricity. But they confiscate those in your household that are under the age of 18. And that means me.  Today, I become the government's property. They did this to keep the money in the household focused on the debt, and not supporting children or having a big enough house. 

I listened to the government controlled bird calls as I waited for that self driving mini bus. I heard it's just like the ones we take to school. Solar powered and completely anxiety fueling. I hate riding on those buses. Who knows what the government could do, anytime they wanted. They could mess with the coordinates and drive us into a wall. That's one way to control the increasing population. There were plenty of useless walls around here. 

I hear the annoying hum of the bus draw near. I stand and wipe my sweaty palms on my lap. I start to step off the porch, but was frozen in shock.

"Jordy," I turned my head. "Where are you going?" I saw a frail frame of my mother. I smiled with pity. 

"Oh momma, I'm going to be gone for a while." I moved towards her. I was just a bit taller than her. I took her into a hug, just soft enough not to hurt her delicate body.

"I don't want you to go, " She said, confused. 

"Sorry, but I'll come back." I sat her down in the chair I was in previously. 

"Oh... okay." She looked up to me. Her pail face slowly moved to watched her lap. I sighed and turned to keep walking. I felt tears pool in my eyes. The bus in front of me now suddenly felt terrifying. I rubbed my eyes, my glasses resting on the back of my hand. 

A hand wraps easily around my arm and guides me up the steps and into a front seat. I set my glasses back down on my nose and looked around the now moving bus. Besides the guards, I was alone. I took this moment to let myself be selfish. 

I moved so I could lean my back on the window, then pull my knees to my chest without falling off. I let myself cry, and let the tears soak into my jeans. Slowly, I fell asleep.

When I woke up, the bus had stopped in the middle of a grassy field. My neck cracked and ached as I stretched out of the cramped position. 

"Get off" Said one of the guards. The two of them didn't rise from their seats, and just stared at me. Without a word, I stepped off the bus. I glanced around the field and took a deep breath in. The air smelled fresh and clean. 

I turned to ask what to do now, but there was no bus. I looked around everywhere, but there was nothing for miles. I looked at my feet, glancing at a patch of wild flowers. My boots complimented them well. 

Suddenly, the ground gave out beneath my feet. 

---Chapter End---